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1/4 Birr - Menelik II
| Issuer | Ethiopia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1895-1903 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/4 Birr / Thaler (የብር፡ሩብ) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Ge'ez |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The Lion of Judah depicted passant to the right, wearing an imperial crown atop its mane, and holding upright a staff bearing a cross mounted on a flowing banner. The lion stands on a raised ground line, with the engraver's signature LAGRANGE and the Paris mint mark 'A' inscribed in the lower exergue. A circular Ge'ez legend surrounds the central device, with the denomination legend in Ge'ez script appearing at the base of the coin within the dentilated border. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Ethiopia's silver coinage of this period emerged directly from Menelik II's campaign to assert international legitimacy following the decisive defeat of Italian forces at Adwa in 1896 — the most significant military victory of an African nation against a European colonial power in the continent's modern history. The coinage was struck in Paris at the Monnaie de Paris, a deliberate diplomatic signal that Ethiopia could engage European institutions on its own terms.
The series spans a date range that straddles Adwa, making earlier strikes particularly resonant historically. KM#3 is sometimes found with die alignment inconsistencies attributable to the Paris facility handling an unfamiliar denomination system.